Summertime Treats: Prosecco Popsicles

On Thursday, as a heat wave descended on the North Country (81 degrees) – and just before the storm rolled in – I found myself with a craving for something sweet and cold. I’ve never had a real sweet tooth (I’ll choose chips over cake 9 times out of 10), but I can’t say no to ice cream. I could, quite seriously, eat it every day. Side note: none of the people I met at Claire’s amazing paella cook out would believe this statement because somehow – and I have no idea how – four desserts made it onto my plate. Weird. But I digress . . . back to the topic at hand.

So: As I’d like to actually make it into a bikini this summer, eating ice cream every day is not such a good idea. What, then, are the alternatives? When I lived in Mexico, I was obsessed with the paletas that I could buy on nearly every street corner. You can get them with a milk/cream base or with agua and almost any flavor imaginable – strawberry, raspberry, tamarind, lime, lemon, watermelon, vanilla, chocolate, avocado, sweet corn . . . The last two might sound odd, but I swear – que rico! And the paletas with a water base – like the fruit ones – taste fresh and clean so I could at least convince myself that I was eating something that was (a little bit) healthy

With these memories in mind and the latest issue of Bon Appetit magazine as inspiration, I searched the internet for popsicle recipes that would appeal to an adult palette. Check out these two websites if you’re looking for ideas of your own: savory.tv and brennas market or pick up the latest issue of Bon Appetit (with the impossibly perfect Gwyneth Paltrow on the cover). I used the recipe on savory.tv as a starting point for my popsicles.

Please note that in the recipes below the measurements are approximate and should be adjusted to your personal tastes. For example, after tasting the mixture, I added more peach nectar to the Raspberry Bellini Popsicles because I wanted a stronger peach flavor. Also, I used frozen mixed berries for the Prosecco Popsicles because that’s what I had in the house. You can use whatever you like – fresh or frozen.

Prosecco Popsicles (makes approximately 8): Combine 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water and 1 cup prosecco. Bring to a boil. Set aside and add the seeds from 1/2 a vanilla bean pod as well as the pod. Let it steep for 10 minutes, remove the vanilla bean pod and add two handfuls of frozen mixed berries. Simmer and as the temperature rises, smash the berries into smaller pieces. Pour into the popsicle mold and freeze 3-4 hours.

And the verdict? I’d use less sugar in the Prosecco Popsicles next time – perhaps substituting maple syrup or agave nectar – to bring out the sweet/tart taste of the mixed berries. But these “grown-up” popsicles were exactly what I was looking for – just sweet enough, cold, tasty. The perfect summer treat.

2 Responses

I don’t see why not . . . I think that the recipe online actually suggests that. And having tasted the one I made, they def. had a “boozy” taste (not overwhelming, but you could taste the prosecco). Let me know how your popsicles turn out!